The 6 Best Diptyque Perfumes, Ranked by a Francophile

I’m obsessed with rose perfume, and Eau Rose has been my signature scent for years. After trying tons of brands, from fellow French maker Officine de Buly to Jo Malone, as soon as I smelled Eau Rose, I knew it was the one. It’s a fresh, bright floral that’s a tad sweet—the top note is very green and the artichoke notes come through. It settles into the crisp, though soft rose notes, which Diptyque derives from Damask and Centifolia roses. The former has a citrus profile, while the latter is known for its green, honeyed notes. As the day wears on, the perfume settles into more of a sweet lychee scent. This fruit is my favorite, with a profile that reminds me of the elderflower in Saint Germain. Eau Rose bills itself as “capricious and exuberant,” and I agree that it surprises you as it evolves on your skin. But, unlike, say, Tom Ford Rose Exposed, it’s not mercurial or aggressive. Rather, it has a mischievous enthusiasm—an enigma. The tradeoff is that while I can get a solid eight to ten hours of wear, it definitely fades throughout the day, while Rose Exposed was still very much kicking—even after I got out of the shower.

Fast Facts

• Notes: Damascena rose, Centifolia rose, chamomile, litchi, artichoke

I typically avoid vanilla perfumes because many brands make them too syrupy. However, the first time I smelled Eau Duelle, I knew I was in trouble. The bourbon vanilla gives it a slight edge and deeper profile than the surface-level candy notes I’m used to. PureWow Assistant Editor Delia Curtis has this on their vanity and adds: “Eau Duelle manages to be both light and deeply alluring. The woody cypriol and heady calamus add an earthiness to the fragrance. All the olfactory notes combine to create a sophisticated scent that feels timeless and versatile enough for daily wear.” The EDT had the shortest longevity on this list, as Curtis clocked it about four hours.

Fast Facts

• Notes: vanilla, pink peppercorn, cypriol, incense

My first perfume memory was rummaging through my mother’s sparse vanity and finding a 12-year-old, nearly full bottle of Chanel No. 5. Fleur de Peau brought me right back to that floral, slightly soapy scent. Of course, it’s different, but there are similarities—notably in the top note, which feels like straight musk. However, while I remember No. 5 being heavy and powdery, Fleur de Peau somehow keeps it feminine and light. (Though it can still last about ten or 12 hours.) It’s like something you’d buy your granddaughter before she graduates to Chanel in mid-life. (Or maybe you are the granddaughter looking for something that more reflects this period of time.)

After the perfume dries down, the breezy cotton notes come through, a little freshness to cut the sweetness of the iris and ambrette seeds. Ambrette and iris are musky florals, so as the day goes on, that side of the flowers becomes slightly more pronounced, but remains bright. My biggest compliment came when I was wearing this perfume—my friend, one whom I consider the most stylish of all, told me I always smell like this, regardless of what I’m actually wearing…and that she loved it.

Fast Facts

• Notes: musk, iris, ambrette, pink peppercorn

As the name suggests, Philosykos evokes a long and languid summer in Greece, right at the base of Mount Pelion, leisurely eating figs dripping in honey. This perfume is an ode to the fig tree in its entirety: leaves, sap and wood.

If you’re not familiar with the delicate, earthy sweetness of a fig, you might mistake it for coconut—I did. But once the aroma hits you, it’s impossible not to imagine a pile of the freshly cut fruit on a sunny summer afternoon. The top notes are the fig leaves and fruit, ethereal but not cloy, slowly transforming into the sweet sap. As it settles on the skin, the note of white woods comes through, gentle and raw. It’s eventually followed by a milky profile, with just a hint of black pepper. I love that this perfume takes you on a journey through the fig tree…the perfect summer scent. As with most of the other Diptyque perfumes, it’s available as an eau de toilette and perfume. I tried the EDT, which lasted a good six to eight hours.

Fast Facts

• Notes: fig leaves, fig tree sap, fig tree wood, black pepper

To be honest, I was concerned when I saw tobacco in the scent description, as I typically can’t handle bellicose scents that want to knock you in the nose, like leather. I was prepared to dislike Orphéon, and so was shocked that I ended up actually liking it. Diptyque describes it as having “striking blue hues offset with glittering silver to conjure up a thrilling, tumultuous night.” It’s meant to evoke the legendary, but now defunct Orphéon jazz bar in Paris’s Latin Quarter.

Indeed, the first notes are smokey and transport you to hazy late nights in the bar. Perhaps, in another life, Audrey Hepburn would have been sitting alongside you, as you inhaled the smoke from the cigarette she was dangling from a long, thin, black cigarette holder, her eyes hidden mysteriously in the clouds. The tobacco notes are tempered by delicate jasmine and juniper berry—sweet but at the same time sharp, as if you’ve just pulled a bunch from the earth. As it dries down, Orphéon gets woodier, evoking the bar, but retains a sweetness I chalk up to the tonka bean. It finishes as a delicate, smoky, floral vanilla that makes me think of strands of pearls, tweed Chanel jackets and Sunday lunch during springtime. The perfume will yield a solid nine to 12 hours of wear time.

Fast Facts

• Notes: juniper berry, cedar, tonka bean, jasmine

Tam Dao was otherworldly in a mystical, mysterious way. I think it owes that quality to the sandalwood, which initially comes off as green and spicy. Immediately, I am whisked away to the tropical forests of Asia, stumbling into a temple in the woods where incense burns amongst the red lacquered walls and golden statues stand attesting to the passage of time. The scent is cooling; it feels quiet and reverent.

Interestingly, the perfume has a creamy note to it. Though there aren’t any milky olfactory notes, the greenery isn’t incredibly sharp. This one has a soft, round richness to it, like pouring a lightly sweet rice milk over everything. It’s peace and serenity bottled up. Though delicate, it had staying power—I got a good eight or nine hours out of an application.

Fast Facts

• Notes: sandalwood, cedar, cypress, myrtle